walking

 

In 2025, 23 family members attended Bill's 88th birthday celebration held in the 4-Mile Pub Tearoom.

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There are a few noteworthy additions to the 2017 image

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Two of Bill's grandsons got married and one ganddaugher got married.

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Our granddaughter and husband have now two beautiful children and our grandson's both have beautiful wives.

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Another beautiful granddaughter and our family welcome her significant other to our gathering.

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The Tearoom is the same venue for both celebrations.

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Thank you to those attending and those who helped make it such a success.

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Labels: 4mile, 88th, birthday

 

Tuesday after driving to our doctor's office and making an appointment for my wife I drove to Ross Bay Beach.

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Harry Weiler has his webcam linked to Big Wave Dave's Webcam site.

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My objective was to find the location of Weiler's webcam but this did not happen.

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Using some triangulation and matriculation those smarter than me can find the webcam from these images.

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Harry Weiler Ross Bay Webcam

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BigWaveDave website
N.B. In Memoriam

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Labels: drove, rossbay, video

 

The Capital Regional District (CRD) has posted signs at Selkirk Trestle.

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There are no visible indications of any trestle repairs but there is equipment on site.

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Some report the CRD is quick to close the Galloping Goose Trail (GGT) but slow to reopen it.

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The CRD still has the GGT closed beyond Sooke Potholes Campground some eight-months (8mon.) after the Old Man fire was extinguished.

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Perhaps the access to Kapoor Regional Park will remain closed permanently.

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We'll let you know if the GGT beyond the 56km Marker ever reopens.

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Labels: ggt, selkirk, walked

 

Jeff was my cyberbuddy for two decades as members of the Vancouver Island Virtual Airline (VIVA). He was our most proilific communicator and a wealth of aviation knowledge to other flyers. We got to share many of his flying adventures with SARS and his motor-home travels throughout BC.

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My wife, Bernice and I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff & Michelle in 2015 when we all attended a gathering and lunch at Victoria Airport. (CYYJ). At that time VIVA members from as far afield as New Zealand, Parksville and Langley attended.

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Regards, Bill
Jeff Remembered

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High Flight BY JOHN GILLESPIE MAGEE JR.  

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,--and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of--wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air ....  

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew-- And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Labels: remembrance

 

Victoria BC had a good dump of snow overnight.

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Depths varied from 2" to 6" (13cm)

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In previous years this was my chance to get suited up and climb over the mountain in the snow.

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But not this day.

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What with my wife's poor health and this aging bodie it was considerd prudent to postpone such an event.

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Having said that, I stayed in and completed assembling my next book to the last page — p.304 “This is where I went and this is what I saw.”

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Labels: snow

There's a whole lot of not-blogging going on in this space

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But, having said that: I am up to page 245 of my next book

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It's a lot of work. What was thought to be simply a copy&paste operation turned out to not be that simple.

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It seems HTML and LibreOffice are not on speaking terms.

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The text transfer works but the photo? Not so much.

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So firstly the HTML has be dumped into Notepad to remove all the coding then passed back into the word processor

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Then one has to go back and d/l the photos and insert them as a separate operation.

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The good news is: If one spends enough time and energy the result is quite agreeable — and publishable.

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Labels: book

Bentley and I met at Tim Hortons and he recieve out handoff of the Alskag brooch etc.. It turned out Clive was there s joined us with his friend Rod. Both are avid cyclistsnow, among other things. 

Clive owned a Beechcraft V-tail Bonanza V-35a/i back in the 80s. After I left to be with my invalid wife at home, Bentley sent this update after Terry joined them.

 

 1983 VIDEO Clive's Beech Bonanza V35A Victoria CYYJ

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Labels: Flying, video

 

Happy New Year 2025

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But what's happened to regular blog posts? Gone the way of the Dodo bird? Almost.

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I've been working several hours per day compiling materials for my next book to be published this year.

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Climbing Mt. Tolmie is not as enjoyable as it was as my body continues to age completing my 88th year.

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Walking and cycling are still options but — like these blog posts — are less than before.

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It is what it is.

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N.B. Today's image is a test-print of the back cover of my next book. God Willing.

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Labels: book, newyears

 

We walked 4½km along the E&N tracks from Shawnigan Lake Rd. Xing to Okotoks Powerline Xing.

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Every road off Okotoks roads are marked as PRIVATE as are all E&N road Xings. Strange.

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When it comes down to it the E&N railway itself is PRIVATE.

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Soon enough the E&N RoW will be gone, but we're going to keep on enjoying it as long as possible.

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Labels: dji, e&n, walked

E&N Railway at Malahat BC Tuesday, October 1st I drove the 27km (16miles) from Victoria BC to Malahat, BC.

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The purpose being to find a level access to the E&N Railway near this location.

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After driving through Cedar Springs Ranch campground I ended up at Malahat Mountain Meadows Campground.

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The campers here told me how to get to the tracks using the nearby trail.

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This access had too much gain for my purposes so after walking the tracks southbound for ten minutes a level xing appeared.

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This level xing connects from Cedar Spring Ranch campground (the place I just drove through).

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We remember this campground from the 60s and is where our kids learned to swim in the outdoor pool.

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Labels: e&n, malahat, walked

Goldstream Suspension Bridge via E&N Rail Grade Tuesday our son and I walked 2km from Humpback Rd along the E&N railway to Goldsream Suspension Bridge

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The plan was to walk the 5km to Cisco Bridge over Niagara Canyon but that didn't happen.

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The CRD aka Capital Regional District Victoria Water Supply has the tracks gated and locked at their facility.

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We walked up and viewed the suspension bridge but didn't walk down the 150m grade.

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On the way in our son got stung no less than three times by bees. The bees had built a nest on one of the rotted-out railway ties.

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It was a great day to be outdoors and we met others along this route. Addendum We enjoyed beautiful weather this morning by hiking 4km roundtrip along the Esquimalt and Nanaimo railway tracks. These tracks have been abandoned to train service since May 10, 2011 but are frequented often by locals and hikers. This section provides a shorter and flatter access to the Goldstream suspension Bridge than does the Great Trail. Our walk stated at Humpback Road where it crosses the railway tracks. The Great Trail (formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail) is one of the world's longest networks of multi-use recreational trails. Once fully connected, it will stretch nearly 24,000 km from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans, through every province and territory, linking Canadians in nearly 1,000 communities.

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Our son was good enough to join me on a hike with which he was not familiar. Shortley after departing our trail-head he may have been having second thoughts after being stung by no less than three bees! Being a tough lad he carried on without comment. The suspension bridge is located where the Victoria Water District has a treatment facility so there are many gates and signs reminding users of restricted areas. The down side for users is they also block access along the rail grade. The VIA Rail Dayliner could run through here but appearenttey walkers cannot. The Capital Regional District has it locked down pretty good.

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Labels: djineo, e&n, goldstream, walked

DJI Neo First Flight These two images are screenshots from my Youtube video. The images could have been taken from the camera recording but for me the ultimate test is what it looks like on YouTube. For my money, the DJI Neo video camera at 4k/30 does an excellent job of recording one's surroundings. “This is where I went and this is what I saw.”

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Labels: djineo, drone, saanich

 

Friday morning I cycled the Lochside Trail 15km out to Michelle's Field and back (30km roundrip)

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Across the road the industrial site manager gave me permission to launch my DJImini2 drone

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While keeping the drone over the industrial site, the 4X zoom lens gave some good views of the Keating Overpass construction site.

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It was a beautiful morning for a bike ride with 20°C (68°F) temps and little wind.

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One always has a wind while cycling at 25km/hr.

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The whole outing only took less than two hours.

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The Highway 17 Keating Cross Road “Flyover” Overpass Project will allow vehicles to travel this busy corridor more safely and efficiently, helping keep local businesses competitive and promoting regional economic growth. The total project budget is $76.8 million 🇨🇦.

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Labels: djimini2, drone, keeting

Times Colonist July 16, 2024 Jeff Bell jbell(at)timescolonist.com Driftwood mammoth sculpture set ablaze at Colwood beach. The Colwood Fire Department was called after the driftwood mammoth statue at Royal Bay Beach was set on fire on Monday. A man was arrested Monday morning after a driftwood sculpture of mammoths on Colwood’s Royal Bay Beach was destroyed by arson. West Shore RCMP made the arrest after finding the man nearby. Colwood Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Greg Chow said the sculpture of an adult and a baby mammoth was commissioned several years ago by an area developer. “Unfortunately, somebody set it ablaze this morning,” he said Monday. 

N.B. 'RCMP' is Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Labels: beach, elephant, viewroyal